Michael Malone may not be pacing the Denver Nuggets sideline anymore, but he hasn’t strayed far from the game or the city that has defined so much of his coaching career. That made his comments surrounding the selection of the 2025 MVP all the more shocking.
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Nikola Jokic, the face of the Nuggets, lost out on the MVP race to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earlier this year. SGA strengthened his resume even further with an NBA Championship and Finals MVP shortly afterward.
Malone recently sat down with SiriusXM NBA Radio and opened up about life after his long run in Denver. One topic he spoke about was his “welcome to the media moment,” which came when he acknowledged Shai as the league MVP instead of Jokic, a player he coached for nearly a decade.
“I was so immersed in the Western Conference Finals scout, and it was kind of my first welcome to the media moment. Everything you say and how scrutinized it is,” Malone stated.
You could tell Malone was reminded of how quickly words can be turned against you in the age of social media. “I’m so ingrained into this OKC/Minnesota Western Conference Finals, and I made a comment about SGA and why he’s going to be the MVP,” he continued.
It was why he garnered a disloyalty badge from some of the Nuggets fanbase. Picking SGA stirred up plenty of noise back in Denver.
“I called my wife after the game. She said, ‘Oh my gosh, people are up in arms back in Denver,'” Malone laughed. The moment showed how closely fans still tie Malone to the Nuggets and to Jokic in particular. His words carry weight, even though he’s no longer in charge.
“I called my wife after the game. She said, ‘Oh my gosh, people are up in arms back in Denver.’”
Michael Malone shares his “welcome to the media” moment with @TheFrankIsola & @Scalabrine. pic.twitter.com/4T3eeS0cnK
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 26, 2025
Malone later explained that the reaction missed some key context. “The reason I said what I said because it was already leaked that Shai was going to win the MVP. I think he was announced MVP the next day or the day after. So I was just stating what everybody else already knew.”
In other words, the 2023 champion wasn’t breaking loyalty, just acknowledging the reality of the awards race. That loyalty, Malone made clear, has never wavered. “I still would have voted for Nikola Jokic,” he said firmly. “People felt since I got fired, I changed my loyalty. This has nothing to do with loyalty. I love Nikola. I loved my 10 years in Denver.”
At the same time, Malone is honest enough to give credit where it’s due. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a monster season and helped Oklahoma City climb to the top of the Western Conference standings and an eventual ring for the franchise.
“You have to give Shai credit. The season they had. They dominated the NBA. They dominated the regular season,” Malone admitted. Recognizing greatness in others doesn’t diminish what Jokic accomplished, it just paints a fuller picture of the competition.
“You look at what Nikola did. 30 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and almost 2 steals per game,” he said. If he had not won multiple MVPs before, I think he wins that easily.”
The Joker has reached a point where his excellence almost gets taken for granted, something Malone seemed eager to point out. But he has also learned that every word carries weight, especially when it touches on a player as beloved as Nikola. For Malone, that’s just part of the job now, and part of what keeps him connected to the game he’s always loved.
